The present invention relates to an apparatus for washing the tire supporting rims or wheels of vehicles, and more particularly to such an apparatus employing high pressure liquid to accomplish the washing.
It is extremely difficult to clean the wheels of automobiles and other vehicles. In particular, the wheels tend to accumulate difficult to remove brake dust from disc brakes and other substances. Moreover, many wheels are spoked and for this reason have difficult to clean areas, such as behind the spokes. Furthermore, some vehicles have extremely deep dish wheels. Such wheels have surfaces which are substantially recessed from the outermost surface of the wheel and are therefore hard to reach and clean.
Heretofore, wheel cleaners have typically utilized rotating brushes for cleaning purposes. However, it is extremely difficult for brushes to clean brake dust from wheels. In addition, brushes typically do not adequately clean hard to reach surfaces, such as the deep dish portions and spoke portions of wheels. Also, some wheels are made of relatively expensive materials, such as magnesium, and are subject to damage by brushes.
Therefore, a need exists for an improved wheel cleaning apparatus.